A Roomful of Metal

Last week I found myself in a roomful of metal.  What was I doing there?  I was at the Enso Artspace to view Metal, an exhibition with works by Michael Cordell, Sue Latta, Susan Madacsi & Dennis Proksa.

Enso Gallery

I have been to many exhibitions over the years and have seen metal artworks before.  But as I was in gallery, I was thinking that I haven't really seen many metal works massed together in one space unless it was outside in a sculpture garden.  So just the idea of a gallery exhibition with only metal artworks seems unique in itself.

It seemed like there was a little bit of a circular and linear theme throughout the gallery although I don't think that was necessarily planned, just the nature of the artists' work.

Wall pieces by Susan Madacsi. Sculpture by Dennis Proksa.

As you enter the Enso space, Sue Latta's A Lifetime of Them greets you on the left.  It is a work with steel, resin and screen printed rice paper.  There is an interesting juxtaposition with the resin coated rice paper that seems very light and ethereal and the heavier metal structure that holds them and, perhaps, the meaning of the piece.

A Lifetime of Them by Sue Latta.

Before looking at the list of materials used, I thought the prints on the rice paper were actually made from rust.  Maybe the artist intended it to look that way to tie it together with the metal structure.

I was already familiar with all the artists except for Susan Madacsi, whose work I was really taken with.  She, like Dennis Proksa, is an "Artist Blacksmith".  Many of her works in the exhibition make use of colored circular forms grouped together.

Sapphire Square, Ruby Square, Emerald Square and Green Monster Wabi Sabi Vessel by Susan Madacsi

Here is a close-up of some of those shapes.  I am guessing that she hammered the edges with different tools to get the variation in pattern.  Although these are metal pieces, the added color brings a lightness and depth to the work.

Detail of Small Confectioner's Vessel by Susan Madacsi.

If you live in town, you only have one chance left to see these magnificent metal masterpieces.  Enso is open on Thursdays only from 3-8 p.m. and this Thursday is also the last day for the exhibition.

Altered View by Dennis Proksa